Improvement in safety-pinions for watches and clocks



O. S. MOSELEY & A. BITNER. Safety-Pinion for Watches and Clocks.

No. 218,556. Patented Aug. 12,1879.

Fzy. 7,

WITNESSES: INVENTOR: WM mmz/ mic/V BY ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S. MOSELEY AND ABRAHAM BITNER, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN SAFETY-PINIONS FOR WATCHES AND CLOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 218,556, dated August12, 1879 application filed May 9, 187,).

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, CHARLES S. MOSELEY andABRAHAM BITNER, of Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Safety- Pinion forlVatches and Clocks, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to prevent injury to a watch or clocktrain by the breaking of the mainspring.

Various devices have been proposed here tofore for this purpose, whereinthe centerpinion has been connected to its arbor, so as to permitindependent backward movement of the pinion; but they have either provedimpracticable when made of the small size required for a watch, or elsewhen a screw is used to slide the pinion an injurious pressure is causedon the watch-plates.

Our invention relates to a safety-pinion, that is caused to move itsarbor in one direction by a spring-catch of peculiar construction, andpermits free movement of the pinion in the opposite direction withouteffect upon the arbor.

Figure l is a side view of a pinion constructed in accordance with ourinvention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line of the arbor. Fig. 3is a cross-section on line 00 a: of Fig. 2. Fig. A is a side view of thepinion, detached from its arbor.

These figures arein enlarged size, and similar letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts.

The invention may be applied in connection with any wheel and arbor inthe train of a watch or clock.

The pinion (shown at a) is upon an arbor, I). The arbor bis formed witha flange or collar, 0, and with a boss, upon which the pinion It fitssnugly, but so as to turn freely, with one end of the pinion takingagainst flange 0.

Upon the arbor b, at the outer side of the pinion, is a nut, c, that isformed with a conical end, that enters a correspoiidingly-shaped recessin the pinion to prevent end movement of the latter on the arbor, and,to prevent binding, the arbor is formed with a shoulder, against whichthe nut impinges.

The pinion maybe held in place by other devices in place of nut c-as forinstance, by a cross-pin-aml we do not limit ourselves in thatparticular.

in the side of the flange 0 next to the pinion there is formed anannular recess to re ceive a fiat spring, f, that tits closely in therecess and extends to a complete circle, or, more or less short of it,as desired.

One end of spring/"is bent outward, or in spiral form, and the other endtakes against a nick or projection, i, in the bottom of the recess toprevent the spring from turning.

In the end of pinion a a nick or projection, h, is made, with its edgein a direction for beingcaught by the raised end of the springf.

It will now be understood that the pinion, when turned in one directionor forward, carries the arbor with it, while if it be turned backward,as is the case when the mainspring of the watch breaks, the pinion wouldpass freely over the spring-catch without effect on the arbor.

The spring is supported by the sides of the recess, whereby it can standthe strain \vitlr out breaking, which feature is important in connectionwith the minute springs required for a watch. The spring is readily andquickly applied andadjusts itselfto the proper-position.

If desired, the spring may be held fast by a screw-pin or rivet but weprefer the construction shown, as it is less expensive.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent The flat spring], fitted in an annular recessof arbor-flange, c, bent spirally at one end and taking with the otherend against a projection in the bottom of said recess, in combinationwith the loose pinion (I, having an end projection, it, adapted to becaught by a raised end on said spring, as shown and described.

CHAR-LES S. MOSELEY. ABRAHAM BITNEI-t.

Witnesses GEORGE AUKAMP, HUGH S. GARA.

